Sectional filing-case



E. OHNSTRAND.

SECTIONAL FILING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1919.

1,390,377.. Patenteasept. 13, 1921.

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SECTIONAL FILING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, I919. 1,390,377. PatentedSept. 13, 1-921.

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SECTIONAL FILING CASE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,191

1,390,377. PatentedSept. 13, 1921..

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ENOCH OHNISTRAND, or MOHAWK, NEW :YORK, AssIeNoR '.I I0 LIBRARY BUREAU, or CAMBRIDGE, mnssncnusnrrs, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

SECTIONAL FILING-CASE.

Application filed July 9, 1919. Serial No. 309,663.

To all whomirmcay concern:

Be it known that I, ENOGH OHNSTRAND,

-a citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Mohawk in Herkimer and State ,of New vented new Sectional F iling-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

the county of York, have in- Th1s invention relates to a sectional filing case made up of a plurality of similar sections or units, and its principal objects are to provide a novel and improved sectional filing case of metallic construction throughout, which shall be simple and cheap to manufacture, light to 7 and to operate and manipulate when stacked; also to provide a sectional case of which the several sections will be nested and interlocked against accidental movement or dislodgment from one another longitudinally, laterally or vertically attheir rear ends, and to provide interlocking means of such construction as to require the minimum amount of care, attentlon and sk1ll 1n br1nging the same into proper engagement; also to provide means for excluding dust from the joints and crevices of the assembled case, and for-covering the same, so far as may be with open or skeleton sections. These and other features of novelty will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings "which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of two units or sections of the sectional filing case, one stacked upon and interlocked with the other;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of one of said units;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of theunits with the drawer removed;

Specification of Letters Patent. -Pate -in elevation of one of the .lower and useful Improvements in handle, and easy to stack.

nted Sept. 13, 1921.

rear corners;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the rear end of one of the drawer supporting rails;

F 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation showing the interlocking means between the lower and upper rear corners of two units; v

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the upper rear corner of one of the units;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the corner shown in Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary view in front elevation of an upper rearcorner of the drawer."

The sectional filing case as a whole comprises a number of identical units or sections stacked one on top of another, and nested and interlocked one with another as hereinafter more fully described. Two such sections superposed one on the other are, shown in Fig. 1 to illustrate the relation of lar rear frame 2, each made of an integral strip of steel or iron, bent as shown to form a rectangular strap or band with its ends fastened together preferably by a dovetail joint 3.

A top wall 4 and sidewalls 5, madeof an integral sheet or plate of metal, extend between the front and rear frames 1 and 2 and are secured to the inside surfaces of the frames by welding, riveting or other suitable means. The side wall plates 5 should extend far enough down to cover the spaces above the sides of the drawer, so as to inclose the contents of the case, but for the sake of lightness they preferably do not extend down to the bottom of the unit.

To facilitate the accurate and uniform spacing and positioning of the frames on the wall plates, the top wall plate 4 is provided ,with two pairs of spacing projections 6, 6,

and 7, 7, near the ends, which abut respectively against the front side of the rear frame member 2, and the rear side of the front frame member 1. These spacing pro jections preferably in the form of blisters pressed or struck up from the body of the plate, their vertical ends formingabutmentsfor the frame member and their top surfaces forming a gradual incline for the purpose hereinafter explained. By punching or pressing the blisters on all top wall plates in uniform or standard position, all

,units will be of the same lengths and will register accurately when stacked.

At the lower side edges of each unit or section are a pair of side flanges 8 extending between the front and rear frames, and

.also extending downwardly below the bottomvof the section tov overlap the sides of the next section below and cover the joint between the twp adjacent sections. The

' ends 9 of'the side flanges are secured inside of the front and rear upright frame members at the lower corners by welding or the like, and the body of each side flange 8 is plates of the next adjacent section.

oflset from the ends by bends 10, (Fig. 5)

and is consequently offset outwardly from the plane of the side wall plate 5.

Thus the inner faces of the side flanges are spaced apart a distance at least equal to the overall distance between the outer faces of the side walls, whereby the side flanges of each section will fit over the outside ofthe v yrall he side flanges are also of such length as to fit between the front and rear frames land 2 notch constitute interlocking means between the rear end of each unit and the unit next below, adapted to prevent the rear end of a unit from tipping up in case a loaded drawer when pulled out should tend to overloalance the weight of the casing.

A pair of inverted channel bars or U- bars 13 connect the bottom members of the front and rear frames to provide slideways for the drawer. Said channel bars have laterally extending flanges 14, 14, the ends of which may be welded or riveted to the frame. The flanges 14c may be provided with blisters or spacing projections 15, 15 near their ends (see Fig. 5) to facilitate the accurate spacing of the'bottoms of the frames 1 and 2 in the manner explainedwith reference to the spacers 6 and 7.

Between each channel bar 13 and the side flange 8 at the same side of the casing is an antifriction roller 16 journaled on a channel bar and side flange. The tops of the rollers 16 project above the tops of the rails 13, so that the drawer will be supported at the front on said rollers, while the rear edge of the drawer slides on the rails. To cause the drawer to stand level when closed the tracks 13 may be inclined upwardly toward the rear to the level of the rollers 16. This may be accomplishedby bending downwardly a foot 18 at the rear end of each flange 14, to rest on the bottom member of the rear frame 2.

The drawer, indicated generally at 19, may be of usual or preferred construction, and may be provided with a pair of rollers 20, 20, at its upper rear corners to run on the under side of the top wall plate 1, when the drawer is pulled out far enough to shift the center of gravity to the front of the rollers 16. The drawer is guided laterally by the side wall plates 5, 5, which engage the upper rear corners.

The side flanges .8, 8, being offset outwardly will not touch the'drawer; their chief functions being to provide means for nesting and interlocking two adjacent units, and to exclude dust and dirt from the joint between two adjacent units. The side flanges 8 may be stiflened and braced if desired by one or more cleats or straps 21 (Fig. 7) connecting the flange 8 with the bottom of flanges 14: of the channel rail. The channel rails not only provide slideways for the drawer but also furnish the main strength-giving structural elements at the bottom of the casing.

To interlock one section with another it is placed on top with its rear edge resting on the top plate 4 of the section below, and the rear ends of the side flanges straddling the side walls 5 of the section below. The upper section then shoved backward and the rear edge will ride up the inclined top surfaces of the blisters 6, which form ways rising gradually from the surface of the top plate 4 to the top of the rear frame member 2. Thus the rear projections or blisters 6, 6, not only serve as spacers in assembling the casing, but also constitute inclined ways to guide the rear end of the casing above to its seat on top of the casing below and to guide the interlocking projections and notches, 11 and 12, into engagement.

lf claim:

1. A. metal sectional filing case, each section of which comprises rectangular front" and rear frames, and side flanges between the front and rear frames, extending downwardly below the bottom of the section and overlapping the sides of the next section below and covering the joint between the two sections, the ends of said depending side flanges fitting between the front and pintle 17 which is supported by the said rear frames of the section below and interher, the rear ends locking means between therear ends of" the depending side flanges and the rear frame members of the section below.

2. A metal unit for a sectional filing case comprising rectangular front and rear frames, a top wall plate extending underneath the upper front and rear frame members, and inclined ways rising from the top of said wall plate to the level of the top of the rear frame member to guide the rear end of a section above to its seat.

3. A metal unit for a sectional filing case comprising rectangular front and rear frames, a top Wall plate extending underneath the upper front and rear frame members, and blisters struck up from the body of the top wall plate having an inclined top surface rising from the top of said wall plate to the level of the top of the rear frame memof said blisters abutting against the rear frame, said blisters serving both to position the rear frame and to provide an inclined way to guide the rear end ofa section above to its seat.

uprightmembers of the front and rear frames, a

pair of side flanges between the lowercornersof the front and rear frames extending downwardly below the bottom of the section, the rear ends of said depending flanges and the front faces of the upright members of the rear frame having mutually engaging interlocking) means, and blisters struck up from the ody of the top wall having an inclined top surface rising from the top of the top wall to the top of the upper rear frame member, adapted to guide the rear end of a similar sectionabove to its seat and to guide the interlocking means on the rear ends of the depending flanges of the section above into engagement with said interlocking means on its rear frame.

Signed by me at Ilion, N. Y., this 2nd day of July, 1919.

ENOCH OHNSTRAND. 

